Have you noticed that on some days your vision is more clear and on other days the blurriness seems to be worse?   One person with early dry AMD shares his experience, “Sometimes my vision is as clear as can be, but on some days (seems to be more on less sunny days with lots of glare) I can hardly see anything, things are so blurry. And then my vision returns to normal again after a good sleep for instance. “  Another person stated, “My vision is worse at night and on dark days.  I love sunshine.”

Don’t be surprised if you notice changes in the clarity of your vision during different days or at different times during the day.  The top 4 things that can affect the sharpness of your vision are:

Eye Strain

Blurred vision is a common symptom of Computer Vision Syndrome.  According to the American Optometric Association, “Viewing a computer or digital screen often makes the eyes work harder.”  Blurred vision can result from prolonged digital screen use, whether it’s time on a computer, smartphone or tablet.   Take frequent breaks by looking at something in the distance or by closing your eyes.  Blink more often to lubricate your eyes since most screen users blink less often when staring at a screen.

Sunshine

The effect of sunshine on vision for those with different eye conditions varies.  Some find that cloudy days provide better vision with less glare and others find that their clarity improves on sunny, bright days.   Wearing a wide brimmed hat and blue light blocking sunglasses when outdoors can diminish some of the adverse of effects of too much brightness.

Stress

“Our eyes are an extension of our brain so whatever affects the various parts of our brain can actually interfere with our vision,”  explains the eye doctors from Bennett and Bloom Eye Centers.   They add,

“Stress can also cause blurred vision and, ironically, experiencing a vision problem can create more stress.”  When a stressful moment occurs, pupils dilate allowing more light to enter the eye which can actually interfere with one’s vision.  Too much light can actually result in blurriness. Reduce stress through exercise, meditation, deep breathing and a healthy diet.

Sleep

Lack of sleep or fatigue contributes to poor vision. Difficulty focusing and other eye conditions that can result from less than 5 hours of sleep are eye spasms, dry eyes, and irritated eyes.

While changes in the clarity of one’s vision can change from day to day, if there is any sudden loss of vision, distorted vision, or blank, dark spots in the center of one’s vision, call your eye specialist right away.

Leslie Degner, RN, BSN

www.WebRN-MacularDegeneration.com